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Getting to Know the National Association of Collegiate eSports

Now that people are using the words “massive,” “huge,” and “explosive” to describe eSports, it’s time to get to know an organization that’s been driving the development of this competitive sport at the collegiate level. Formed on July 28, 2016 at the first ever Collegiate eSports Summit held in Kansas City, Missouri, the National Association of Collegiate eSports (NACE) is the only association of college and university sponsored eSports programs that promotes the education and development of students through intercollegiate eSports.

Headquartered in Kansas City, this non-profit organization also advocates for varsity programs that include scholarships for its participants and a strong institutional commitment to the sport.

When it formed, NACE says only seven colleges and universities had varsity eSports programs. Today, nearly 100 schools across the U.S. and Canada have begun offering official eSports programs and this figure is expected to reach 120 by the end of 2018. As of January 2018, more than 90% of all varsity eSports programs in the U.S. are members of NACE, with a rapidly increasing number of schools exploring eSports.

NACE Statement and Highlights

NACE states that, “Together, our members are developing the structure and tools needed to advance collegiate eSports in the varsity space.” The organization is “collaborating to lay the groundwork” in areas such as: